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Friday, February 27, 2015

A nanobrewer's designated tavern: Duvall Springs and the Duvall Tavern

Beer travelers looking to experience some of the smallest breweries' creations, to try a new taste or just to get a stamp in the WABL passport, can have a difficult time visiting some of these operations.
Often run in garages or back yard sheds by brewers who have day jobs elsewhere, these startups in commercial craft brewing are seldom accessible without an an appointment. As business picks up, a second step is to open a taproom or pub somewhere nearby, like 192 Brewing in Kenmore or Menace in Ferndale with its Bellingham pub.
But that takes money, too. A shorter step is for a nano to keep a nearby tavern stocked with its kegs. Such is the case with the little Duvall Springs Brewery, which has designated the Duvall Tavern in the village as its always-on-tap outlet. The tavern will sign WABL passports and has the brewers' assurance that they will keep its Burn Ban Porter in production consistently. From the retailer's point of view, it is irksome to have to tell customers that a local brewer's nifty brew, which got some good buzz lately, is not available at the moment or maybe not for a couple of weeks.
Duvall, on the Snoqualmie River a few miles from Woodinville, is a pleasant little place and the tavern has a good line of craft taps. The Burn Ban Porter (abv not available) was a nice malty brew with caramel flavors. They plan to do brewers nights on Thursdays with various King County breweries, including the local guys, each having an evening to pour and promote.
(Visited 2/26/15)